Human Development & Family Studies BS Program
The bachelor’s degree program in Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) has been named the winner of the 2021 Provost’s Assessment Award at UA.
The award, established by Provost Kevin Whitaker in 2017, recognizes excellence in program-level assessment and improvement of student learning outcomes (SLOs). Each year’s winner is selected by the University Assessment Council (UAC) from a pool of degree program assessment reports that most strongly exhibit the qualifying criteria: meaningful, measurable, manageable, and innovative.
The award, established in 2017, recognizes excellence in program-level assessment and improvement of student learning outcomes (SLOs). Each year’s winner is selected by the University Assessment Council from a pool of degree program assessment reports that exhibit meaningful, measurable, manageable, and innovative processes. The other outstanding finalists for the 2021 award were the Population Health Sciences MS and Social Work MSW programs.
The HDFS BS program is offered by the Department of Human Development & Family Studies within UA’s College of Human Environmental Sciences (CHES). The curriculum is designed to produce graduates who have a genuine concern for children and families and seek the challenge of helping people learn, solve life problems, and successfully interact with others. Program-level SLOs include research skills and proficiency in designing, implementing, and evaluating services/activities for learners across the lifespan.
The HDFS BS program assesses student learning in a variety of ways that promote input from multiple instructors and supervisors. UAC award voters were impressed by several aspects of the assessment report—including the thorough design/detail of the assessment plan, the clear presentation of results, and the way faculty collaborated to interpret and use those results to further enhance teaching and learning.
HDFS faculty, including assessment coordinator Dr. Casey Totenhagen and chair Dr. Robert Laird, will receive their award at a University Assessment Council event in September.
